vatican city. and in just moments, pope benedict will be arriving one last time as 1.2 million catholics around the world prepare to say farewell to their holy father. good morning and welcome to a special edition of "early start". i'm christian amanpour live from rome on. and we also want to welcome our global viewers on cnn international. this is the final day of the pope's public audiences. pope benedict is about to make his last one right here in the square before stepping down. it is a historic day. becoming the first pope in six centuries to abdicate and he leaves behind a church with many opportunities behind and many challenges, as well. and we'll talk all about that later on on in a moment, take a look at saint peter's square, more than 50,000 people we're told are expected to witness the pope's final general audience. the anticipation has been building. here is the schedule for this morning and for the the next couple of days. at 4:30 a.m., that is eastern time, that's 10:30 a.m. here in rome, the pope arrives in his popemobile. it's an unusual way for him to conduct

>> you are watching the "journal" from berlin. >> these are our top stories -- pope benedict bids farewell to huge crowds the day before he formally steps down as leader of the italian catholic church. >> the italian prime minister cancels an appointment with germany's main opposition candidate. >> in german soccer, dortmund prepared to defend their title against high-flying bayern munich. it seemed that the lord was sleeping -- that was today's emotional farewell message from pope benedict xvi as he acknowledged the rough seas that marked his time as head of the catholic church. >> it was his final public address before retiring, speaking to pins -- tens of thousands of faithful, he referred to the struggles enjoy of his papacy. >> we will be going live to rome in a moment to get more detail on the speech, but first, a closer look, and the momentous day for catholics around the world. >> a final farewell to the faithful -- people flocked to the vatican to bid goodbye to " benedict, both as the head of the catholic church and as a bishop in rome. the pope took his time. this vehic

news alert from have aed can city where pope benedict xvi is making his final public appearance before resigning. good morning. i am heather childers. >> i am patti ann browne. today is wednesday february 27th. moments ago the pope made his appearance. we are looking live at square. they bid him farewell before he officially resigns tomorrow. 50,000 people estimated to be in that square right now. they are watching the pope by giant television screen all along the main boulevard. >> 250,000 people there. as of 8:00 p.m. tomorrow 2:00 p.m. eastern time pope benedict xvi will officially step down. he shocked the world with the announcement earlier this month. the first pope in fact in 600 years to resign. he no longer has the mental or physical strength to leave the catholic church. his final blessing sunday he reacured faithful followers he is not abandoning the church and he will spend his final years in prayer. for more coverage of the pope's final public pier rance we go life to rome where amy kellogg is standing by in saint peters square. she joini us on the phone. >> i am where you

soon going to have pope benedict xvi making his final official speech to the public before stepping down just over 24 hours from now. at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow, he becomes the first pope in centuries to resign. and he's leaving behind a vatican really at a cross roads. the catholic church facing difficult challenges and also opportunities as it moves forward. now, as i say, usually when there's a transition and we've covered it so many times, well, not so many times, but the last one i was here, and that was because a pope died. john paul ii died after living his last years infirmed and in visible pain. now we have a transition, we have a living pope. you're not watching a funeral before the next pope is elected. you're not watching the world's heads of state come here to pay their respects to the departed pope. you're seeing a much different kind of transition. john al whlen, what is pope benedict going to do the rest of the day? >> normally the wednesday audience, the pope gives religious instruction rooted in scripture. but today i would imagine that knowing the momentous nature of w

tomorrow evening, that ring will be one of the last things that pope benedict divests himself us as he leaves the papacy, that ring, and all of the ring before will be destroyed. >> destroyed using a silver papal hammer and there will be no ring until the conclave and the election of a new pope, it was very interesting that here in new york our cardinal dolan said that he and other cardinals will sing a psalm as they file into the sistine chapel. and is that something that's typical, liz, is that traditional, or is that unique to this conclave? >> i think in particular, these psalm of pent nance is part of the lenten a framework. but, also, it's part of the sistine chapel proper. indeed, as you look at the ceiling, the very last images the very last prophet, then you get to that resurrection of joan in the center. it's fitting for the time, it's fitting for the space and it's fitting for this particular occasion as well. >> let me bring ann thompson back in. you were saying earlier that the pope won't do what's traditional at many of these audiences which is to allow a number of faithf

away from pope benedict's resignation and we go live to rome. >> at 6:10, good morning to you. it is so dry. the air, the ground, we cannot get fog to form, the visibility is four miles in novato and five at half moon bay and everyone else, unlimited visibility. our temperatures are under increasing clouds this afternoon. we will be pretty close if not shy of yesterday with a lot of mid-to-upper 60's until you get to around san francisco and half moon bay at 60 and the beaches are in the upper 50's. thursday, friday, saturday, those are the warmest days in the forecast. >> going live to the bay bridge toll plaza where the metering lights have been turned on, a minimum back jim to the first overcrossing. elsewhere, wednesday, halfway through the week, already, wednesday morning commute, this affects the neighborhood in west portal, what amy hollyfield has been reporting all morning, a broken water main at 15th. you will want to take west portal through that area and avoid that intersection. mass transit off to a good start but ace train one leaving pleasanton 10 minutes behind and ace

final chance to see benedict xvi in the pope mobile. one final chance to see him speak. >> this is such a monumental time. no pope has resigned, the way he has done. and it's something that we have to see. >> reporter: tomorrow, benedict will officially retire to quiet prayer and meditation. the beatification will be captured live by 26 cameras. spectators started lining up before sunrise. they're full of devotion. benedict made the catholic church deeply concerned by corruption, cronyism and scandal. one of his final private meetings with the so-called 007 cardinals, who reportedly wrote about gay priests and blackmail in a controversial dossier. los angeles cardinal mahoney is here, even though he resigned and is accused of sealing the crimes of pedophile priests. >> i don't know if he said there's all these scandals, i have to resign. i think the weight of the job on someone who is relatively frail and very old, you know, just took its toll. and it was time for him to go. >> reporter: benedict will live in this converted convent and become pope emeritus. he will give up his red shoes

church, a massive crowd gathered in st. peter's square for pope benedict's final public audience this morning before the resignation becomes official tomorrow. we are covering it all from rome for you. >> good morning. it was absolutely a historic day in rome. 600 years since the last pope decided to say goodbye and that is what pope benedict did telling 100,000 people that the church had joy and light but he also admitted it has had difficult times. >> the final audience and farewell to the faithful, pope benedict xvi last public speech. never he has had such a big crowd. >> the church has had joy and light, he says. it also has had difficult moments. the crowd arrived from all over the world. three students from santa barbara were there. >> such a monumental time. no pope has resigned the way he has done. it is something we have to see. >> tomorrow, pope benedict will retire to rare and meditation, and this will be captured live by 26 vatican cameras. the spectators are full of devotion but pope poe leaves behind a catholic church concerned by corruption and scandal and cronyis

benedict's last general audience as pope. >> the historic transition before benedict's formal resignation tomorrow. it's wednesday, february 27th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and good morning, everybody. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. history is in the making at st. peter's square as the pope officially retires tomorrow and that's coming up in our top story. on top of that, we'll turn to northern texas where a 16-year-old driver with a stuck accelerator pedal managed to avoid crash after crash. the panicky situation with speeds up to 100 miles per hour. lucky is an understatement. >> wow. >>> also this morning, the debate over working at the office or working from home. after a surprising order from the top corporate executive. where are you the most productive? >> would you do this show from home if you could? >> in a heartbeat. actually, i do live here. >> feels like we do. >> we're here every night. >>> coming up later this half hour, chris brown and rihanna's relationship has been on and off. now we're hearing the latest word about this unusual

vatican today to witness pope benedict xvi's final hours as head of the catholic church. it's a big couple of days. vinita nair joins us live from the vatican with more on the pope's sendoff and his retirement. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon, it's a beautiful day here in rome. keep in mind, we're a lot of hours ahead for this general audience that wrapped up about three hours ago from where we are now but it was an unusual one in the sense that the pope traditionally takes this time to talk to tourists and followers about the catholic religion. but today he made it very personal aware that this was his last public audience. ♪ [ music ]♪ >> reporter: pope benedict rode through st. peter's square in his trademark popemobile for the last time. he kissed babies and waved to tens of thousands of people who gathered to see him. the 85-year-old delivered his final message after serving nearly 8 years as pontiff. pope benedict told the crowd he will keep the faithful in his prayers and has great trust in the future of the catholic church. tomorrow he will become the first pope to

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company. >>> tens of thousands of people are at the vatican right now for pope benedict xvi's final hours as the head of the catholic church. this is a live look at the scene in vatican city. the 85-year-old delivered his last message to followers after serving nearly 8 years as pope. vinita nair has more on the sendoff and the process to replace him. >> reporter: pope benedict rode through st. peter's square in his trademark popemobile for the last time. he kissed babies and waved to tens of thousands of people who gathered to see him. the 85-year-old delivered his final message after serving nearly 8 years as pontiff. pope benedict told the crowd he will keep faithful in his prayers and has great trust in the future of the church. tomorrow he will become the first pope to abdicate in 600 years. this group of pilgrims took a bus from germany to rome. vatican officials say even in his retirement pope benedict will be known as emeritus pope son when a new pontiff is elected there will be two popes living just yards away from each other in vatican city. critics say having a pope with

share a special moment with you now. a final farewell to the faithful. pope benedict xvi addressing an enormous crowd in morning in st. peter's square for his final time. we say good morning you. i'm bill hemmer. welcome to "america's newsroom". martha: good to see you, bill. i'm martha maccallum. what a emotional and historic moment we saw play out today. it has been 600 years since the last time a pope made this decision to step down. more than 150,000 people filed into st. peter's square to be part of this moment to witness it live. pope benedict going along in the pope mobile there. he blessed some of the children in attendance. there is some of that. boy, a lot to unfold. bill: over the next 24 hours, martha, he will be a former pope. 8:00 local time tomorrow on thursday, the pontiff taking, look at those pictures. reflecting on the big moment as his life and his church enter uncharted waters. >> translator: the words that resonated in my heart have been, lord, why are you asking me? it is a great burden that you have placed on my shoulders. but if you ask me, i will accept. certa

benedict xvi, and i think he'll return it to the crowd and thank them. i think he'll acknowledge the great universality of the church. i would expect there to be strong spiritual words from this man today. >> people who have been around the pope the last several days describing his manner as serene. as someone who saw him on ash wednesday, both in audience in the morning and the ash wednesday mass in the evening, that's exactly how he looked to me. he's not someone who wants a lot of attention or prone to flashy good-byes, but do you think we'll see some emotion from this pope today? >> chris, pope benedict's serenity comes from a mature mind, well formed spirit, a man of real spiritual discipline, great student of the bible. on his day of resignation, he said jesus christ is the real leader of the church, the true ruler of the church. i suspect he'll say something of that today. in addition to what is an energetic atmosphere, an unsettled atmosphere. the church is moving into uncharted waters beginning at 8:00 tomorrow night. and while it's great to see this enormous catholic vitali

. pope benedict and his final public farewell. 1.2 billion catholics, making his last public appearance in st. peter's square, telling tens of thousands of followers his decision to step down comes with a deep peace of mind. >> translator: i have taken this step in full awareness of the gravity, seriousness and a profound serenity in my soul. >> chief international correspondent christiane amanpour joins us live from rome this morning. >> reporter: good morning, soledad. pilgrims streaming out of st. peter's square behind me, where they gathered several hours ago for the final public audience by pope benedict xvi. he did something rather unprecedented for these what are weekly audiences. he toured around the square in his pope mobile and tens of thousands of people inside the square got a first-hand look at him. lots of waving, lots of cheering, and he delivered his blessing and talked about what it maend to take the step, you just heard him say he understood the enormity of this, the gravity of it, and the novelty of it, this is indeed unprecedented. more than 600 years sinc

outdoor plans coming up. back to you. >> thanks. new this morning, pope benedict xvi making his very last public appearance this morning before retiring tomorrow. >> i would ask each of you to pray for me and for the new pope. >> thousands of people gathering in st. peter's square to witness the historic event. the pope first spoke in italian and then english saying he would continue his work for the church through prayer. we'll have a live report starting at 6:50. >> 6:09 now. a follow up this morning. a bay area couple missing for a month in peru is now found safe. the u.s. embassy in peru says garrett hand and a jamie neil were recently spotted in a remote village heading for ecuador. the cycling trip started wu but friends and relatives lost contact with him back in january. >> the west sacramento police officer accused of raping women while on duty is set to appear this afternoon. sergio alvarez including kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary. he would pull women over while on patrol. six victims have been identified so far. it was arrested and fired this week following a

pope benedict's resignation in my new series "popewatch: inde-schism 2013." [cheers and applause] remembers -- remembers folks -- remember, it has been over 700 years since anyone has voluntarily depoped themselves. [laughter] well, buckle your chausable, because there are dramatic new developments. we all know that when a cardinal is elevated to the papacy, he becomes the heir of st. peter there choose a new name. so, naturally, now that benedict xvi is leaving office, he has asked that we call him simply: benedict the xvi. [laughter] okay. okay. that's understandable. he doesn't want to have to get new towels and stuff. [laughter] but that's not all. he says he's still going to be pope emiritus and his holiness, continue to wear the white robes and live in the vatican. [laughter] folks, that means there's going to be two pontiffs. we're one pope over the line-- sweet jesus, one pope over the line. [laughter] [cheers and applause] it'll be chaos. you can't have one vatican with two popes. it's like gotham with multiple batmans. [laughter] you shine the bat signal, all these clow

also works for santa cruz police department. >>> the other big story this morning pope benedict xvi spoke to thousands this morning as he made his final public appearance in st. peter's square as the pope. vinita nair joins us now live from the vatican with more on this sendoff to retirement. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we're a full nine hours later near rome so sort of good afternoon here. but it was a very exciting day here in rome. about 150,000 people packed into st. peter's square and it was an emotional farewell to the pope. pope benedict rode through the popemobile for the last time. he kissed babies and waved to tens of thousands who gathered to see him. the 85-year-old delivered his final message after serving nearly 8 years as pontiff. pope benedict told the crowd he will keep the faithful in his prayers and has great trust in the future of the church. tomorrow he will become the first pope to abdicate in 600 years. this group of pilgrims from the pope's home country of germany took an overnight bus to rome. he says, it's a historic event naturally we want to

. peter's square where tens of thousands said good-bye to pope benedict xvi. >>> plus the warriors literally throw down in indiana. we'll break it down for you and bring you the blow by blow coming up. >>> according to multiple sources, the deal for alex smith is done. we'll let you know where the qb is headed and what the niners will get in return. >>> new development to tell you about in the oscar pistorius premeditated murder case. officials say the substance found in the olympians bedroom was not testosterone. representatives for pistorius say it's been identified as an herbal remedy used, quote, in aid of muscle recovery. during pistorius' bail hearing, south african said they found needles and testosterone this his bedroom. after the shooting death of his girlfriend, model reeva steenkamp. pistorius was released on bond friday. his next court date is scheduled coming up in june. >>> new this morning, pope benedict xvi thanked his followers for their prayers at his last public appearance before stepping down tomorrow. the crowd estimated at more than 150,000 strong. maryann ah

new pope, we learn today that the outgoing pope benedict will be called -- what he will be called after he is pope and what life will be like for him, because afr all, remember, an abdicating pope is all new territory for the catholic church. nbc's anne thompson remains at the vatican for us tonight. anne, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. they are already closing off the streets around st. peter's square in anticipation of the huge crowds for pope benedict's final audience tomorrow. the cardinals who will elect his successor have started to arrive, including controversial american cardinal roger mahoney, who is here despite calls for him to stay home because of his role in shielding sexually abusive priests in los angeles. these final days for benedict have been very difficult. he's seen a cardinal forced to resign, intense speculation over an internal investigation into leaked documents. but today the news was all about his new life. in retirement, he will be called pope emeritus. he will still wear white, just a simple cap and not the cape we're used to seeing. hi

with john paul and with benedict. now it's pretty much expected of him. i think that's right what liz said about him, the father quality of the pope. that's a great advantage to have. >> and as you also look at him -- and he looks like an 85-year-old man, and you realize the stress that must have been on him, certainly in the run-up to this and the decision that he finally decided to make. but just the wear and tear of preparing. we know that yesterday he had something of a down day. there's packing to be done. there are papers to be gone through. there are decisions to be made. and he will be going to castel gandolfo, which is the summer residence of the pope, where he will stay until a more permanent residence is finished. they have been doing renovations on the old monastery on the grounds of the vatican. he's someone, liz, who really -- it's not a job that he can go home at 5:00, and he puts his little time card in, and it ends. this is a man who for the last eight years, when most people would want to be retiring -- and, ghiin fact, he planned to retire with his brother to a litt

angeles sunny. los angeles, 75 the high. >>> pope benedict has arrived at st. peters's square for his last public audience. this is a live picture where tens of thousands have gathered to see phone benedict on his last full day as lead over the catholic church. benedict is expected to speak for over an hour possibly laying out his vision for the future of the church. >>> in medical news now, a new study finds a worrisome trend. an incidence of deadly breast cancer among women has appeared. these cancers tend to be more aggressive. >> reporter: more women are being diagnosed with breast cancer at an early age. >> it's scary. definitely very scary but something to be aware of. >> reporter: a new study in the american journal of medicine finds a small but significant increase in advance breast cancer among women in their 20s and 30s. researchers have found it's gone up each year since 1976. >> ideally you want to see it go down, not up. >> reporter: young women with breast cancer tend to have more aggressive forms of the disease than older women and have lower survival rates. 230,000

month. >> pope benedict xvi addressed catholics during an emotional sendoff today. vinita nair is in vatican city where tens of thousands packed st. peter's square to witness history. >> reporter: pope benedict xvi arrived in st. peter's square for his final general audience smiling and waving from the popemobile. he spent about 15 minutes saying hellos, stopping to admire one of the youngest in the crowd. aides assisted the 85-year-old as he walked up to the platform. in a clear strong voice, the pope thank the faithful from the bottom of his heart. the holy father acknowledged his eight-year reign had rough spots saying at times that it seemed like the lord was sleeping. benedict retires tomorrow and plans to dedicate the rest of his years to prayer. >> i was deeply freightful for the understanding -- grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you. >> reporter: an estimated 150,000 people cheered and waved signs thanking the pope for his service. some wiped away tears. >> opportunity to say good-bye to someone who really saved our lives. >> it's been a real h

as well. >>> we begin in vatican city where pope benedict xvi is spending his last full day as pope. he delivered his last speech. tens and thousands of people gathered in st. peter's square to hear what he had to say. >> recalling moments of joy and light during his last eight years leading the church but he said there were difficult times as well, which he said, quote, seemed like the lord was sleeping. >> the pope also talked about his resignation, calling it a tough decision to make. >> i continue with my prayers and ask each of you to pray for me and for the new pope. >> after the speech, the pope greeted crowds at his popemobile. of course, they are going to take a chopper to the papal summer residence outside the city of rome. >> christiane amanpour is joining us. details about how the pope will live his life out. pretty fascinating. we' we're. >> reporter: you're absolutely right. we are on unchartered waters. the last time this happened was 600 years ago. pope benedict xvi after tomorrow, a new pope elected sometime we can expect before it begins on palm sunday, march 24th.

>> we're back with one last look at vatican city. that is where pope benedict 16 is wrapping up an emotional final address. a short time ago he told pilgrims from all across the globe that to love the church means also to have the courage to make difficult, painful decisions always keeping the good of the church in mind, not one's self-. >> he went on to say while he faced joy he also had difficult moments stkaourg his leadership. and he said he will continue to serve the church through prayer. the pontiff thanked all for respecting his decision to retire. he is the first pope in 600 years to do so. >> i'm deeply grateful for understanding, support and prayers of many of you from those at home and around. the decision i have made in god's will and deep love of church. >> pope benedict xvi asked for special prayers for the cardinals and whomever they choose to be his successor. he will officially enter retirement tomorrow. that will do it for us. "fox & friends" starts right now. >> good morning. it's wednesday. it's february 27, 2013. i'm gretchen carlson. i hope you're going to ha

packed this morning for pope benedict's final public audience. benedict steps down tomorrow. >> the pope acknowledged difficult times during his papacy but told his people he has great trust in the future of the church. allen pizzey is in st. peter's scare. allen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there are fierce concerns about whether or not the monostic life benedict is about to fade into will keep him from having influence on the next papacy. that's for tomorrow. today he was center stage. benedict made a stately arrival for his last general audience aboard a pope mobile perhaps taking advantage of the last time he will have use of one of the specially made vehicle. the crowd of st. ter's square was half the 200,000 the vatican predicted and catered for but the welcome was warm. the pope thanked the crowd as he put it "from the bottom of my heart," and told them he was fully aware of the seriousness and novelty of his decision to resign. cardinals were gathering to choose benedict's successor held places of honor and seemed moved by the occasion. the 115 cardinals eligibl

playing out in rome. last night here, we reported on that secret report prepared for pope benedict about the culture within the walls of the vatican. it's believed only the pope and three cardinals know what's inside. late word tonight on just what pope benedict will be called after he resigns. and so i want to bring in abc's global affairs anchor christiane amanpour in rome tonight. christiane, always great to see you. and first here, what have we learned about pope benedict once he officially steps down? >> reporter: we were told by the vatican that the pope will continue to be called benedict, he will continue to be called his holiness and given the title pope emeritus. we understand that he'll continue to wear white, but not the, you know, elaborate papal vestments. a simple white outfit that he will dispense with his signature red prada shoes and perhaps wear some brown leather shoes. and that he will live in a monastery here within the vatican. david? >> putting the red prada shoes aside. very quiet scene behind you there tonight, but tomorrow, a much different picture. >> re

pope as 150,000 people packed st. peter's square to witness history before pope benedict steps down tomorrow. >>> tackling gun violence. the father of a sandy hook victim. >> it's hard to be here to talk about my son, but i have to. i'm his voice. i'm not here for the sympathy and a pat on the back as many people stated down in newtown. i'm here to speak up for my son. >>> at the pentagon, chuck hagel finally takes over as defense chief. >> i will do everything in my power to be the kind of leader that you expect and you deserve. also, the kind of leader the country expects and deserves. >>> john kerry takes paris. [ speaking foreign language ] >> not bad at all. good day, i'm andrea mitchell in washington in english today. the historic voting rights act could be in danger as a number of supreme court justices overturned the 1965 law. nbcs justice correspondent pete williams joins me now from the supreme court. pete, from the arguments today, what is your impression of what way the court might be moving? >> well, you know, the court didn't come with a blank slate. four years ago, th

criticized former president george w. bush's handle of iraq war. . >>> upon retirement, pope benedict will lose the power of his position but retain many of the perks of the pontiff. the vatican announced today benedict will be known as pope and still called his holiness. not unlike former president faming the title of mr. president as a sign of respect, pope benedict will still wear white. he'll also live steps away from his successor in vatican city. >>> the family of a nasa engineer is hoping someone will come forward to help solve smven's murder. it was eight years ago shot to death in his car. the 29-year-old aerospace engineer was just a couple week ace way from marrying the mother of their two children. san francisco police investigators say there are no suspects and no leads in this cold case. the family says their grief has not fade sgld we can't move on. we made this person to be punished for his crime. >> family says their son had no enmys but had gotten into an argument with a man who sold him a used car. >>> gene quan declared rita williams day in the city of oakland. she's be

cocoanuts has failed to bear fruit for indonesia as farmers. pope benedict xvi is making his final appearance in st. peter's square as the roman catholic pope -- his final appearance in at st. peter's square. he is the first pope in 600 years to resign. >> in these recent months, i felt my weakening strength. i prayed and asked for in light meant to make the right decision for the good of the church. >> barbara, amid the huge outpouring of affection from the faithful gathered there. >> absolutely. a lot of people have turned out to say goodbye to pope benedict xvi. 50,000 tickets were sold. it is more likely that there are about 150,000 people around the vatican and the main road that leads to it. people are still walking towards st. peter's square, but they're being redirected to other parts around the square where there are big screens where they can watch the pope. nothing compared to the figures of the people we saw for the funeral of john paul back in 2005. that was a funeral and this is a different time in the church. the pope is driving through st. peter's square to wave to

benedict xvi will become the first living former pope in six centuries. the vatican announced today that his title in retirement will be pope emeritus. earlier today, we asked long-time vatican reporter delia gallagher, senior editor for "inside the vatican" magazine, how the vatican will cope with two popes. >> well, a lot of this will be unchartered territory and will depend, i think on common sense of the pope emeritus, benedict who has said he would like to live hidden from the world a life of prayer, a life of silence and one has to take him at his word that that is indeed, what he intends to do he especially is a man who understands that he has to allow the freedom of the new pope to take the church in the direction that he sees fit without setting up any kind of anti-papacy. i mean these cardinals have been appointed by pope benedict xvi and john paul ii so i don't think we'll see a situation of conflict. >> pelley: why can't the vatican seem to settle on a date for the conclave to begin to select the new pope? >> well part of it is logistical. we have to wait until the pope actua

pope benedict will be stepping down. and as television's foremost roman catholic i'll have full coverage of this story in pope watch: 2013678 i'll be on the ground live from rome to cover the story up close and papal. this wednesday il papa will give his last public audience and circle st. peter's square in the pope noble salute the enormous crowd. naturally, the jackals in the media are take advantage of pope's exit to strike with new scandal rumors. >> blackmail sex scandal. allegations involving the catholic's church. >> allegations involving sex, prostitution and blackmail. >> a secret network of gay priests. >> alleges that a network that they may have made themselves vulnerable to male prostitutions. >> stephen: that's right. there's even claims of hidden camera footage. [ laughter ] but, folks, i don't believe that vatican footage. there are women in there. [laughter] this information -- [cheers and applause] -- not allowed. they are just not allowed in. this information about sex parties allegedly comes from an investigation the pope himself ordered last april and was re

happened in this incredibly emotional hearing later on in the show. >>> meantime, pope benedict got pretty personal and emotional in his public farewell today before tens of thousands packed into st. peters square. look at this. he said the catholic church is passing through stormy seas and said his tenure had difficult times. went to quote him, the lord seemed to sleep. pope benedict said he suffered over his decision to resign which will take effect tomorrow. >> i will continue to accompany the church with my prayers and i ask each of you to pray for me and for the new pope. >> he left his glass-topped popemobile waving to the cheering crowd, kissing some babies. it was an unusually candid speech from a pope often considered aloof and reserved. our chief international correspondent and anchor christiane amanpour joins me live from rome. christiane, were you surprised by pope benedict's personal message? >> reporter: well, yes, because a lot of people had said he would say prayers and perhaps he might have a little bit of a personal message interspersed because this would be his fi

and a new look. the vatican announced that pope benedict xvi will keep his name but will be called pope emeritus or the roman pontiff emeritus after he steps down as leader of the roman catholic church on thursday. benedict is also going to change his wardrobe slightly. so much of this is about pomp and circumstance. that's what makes a lot of organized religion and he is no longer going to be wearing the traditional red shoes, opting instead for brown, and he will be dressing in a simple white cassock. what do the changes mean? raymond is "outfront" tonight. it's the pomp and circumstance that can be so fascinating. i notice some people may say these changes are insignificant, color of the shoes, whatever, guys, but that's really significant, right? the red shoes? >> absolutely. look, everything in the catholic church particularly the things we are going to see together over the next couple of weeks, they all mean something and they're all tied to history. those red shoes go back hundreds of years. what they symbolize is the willingness to bleed, to suffer martyrdom for the church

for reporting on the controversy. he's tweeting a lot about it, about pope benedict's final general audience tomorrow. he's tweeting about the nice climate in rome, mid-50s he says during the day, upper 30s at night. great holy spirit weather, he says. he's tweeting and blogging about how unfair people are being to him. bear in mind this is a man who until late last month was stripped of all public duties after being revealed in church documents as someone who protected sexual predators. in a moment we'll talk to an abuse and first casey wian with more on the controversy. >> reporter: members of a nationwide group of reform-minded catholics gathered outside the home church of retired cardinal roger mahoney. >> i would respectfully ask that you deliver this petition on to cardinal mahoney, that he recuse himself from the papal conclave. >> reporter: nearly 10,000 signatures pleading with the disgraced head of the roman archdiocese not to vote for the next pope. >> his participation in the conclave would only bring clouds of shame in a time that should bring springs of hope. >> report

sequestration and also on the church, we're watching pope benedict's final hours. >> who would you pick? >> this is a crapshoot at this point. it's all over the place. >> african, latin america. >> they could go outside europe, we see african or latin american or the real long shot would be an american but i'm not holding my breath on that one or they're just going to circle the wagons and stay european and who knows? >> this is partly why i love watching all that happens. >> so it's fascinating. congresswoman? >> good for marissa at yahoo!. more power to her. >> that's how she's ultimately judged, not the little things, did you make yahoo! work? if you did, then you're a hero. >> did the stock price go up. >> thanks, guys, appreciate it. "cnn newsroom" with carol costello begins right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> happening now in "the newsroom," whiteout. >> it's been stop and go for some time now because of the constant snow that we have. whoa! >> chicago socked in, the monster storm stretching from the midwest to boston, paralyzing travel. >>> also grounded. >> 733

so since the middle ages. >> pope benedict has never seemed entirely comfortable in front of crowds, even one as adoring as this one. the vatican said they expected 50,000. it was four or five times that. >> it means the world to me. i grew up catholic. it is huge, monumental. this great event that is taking shape in our church, this is the main reason why i'm here today. >> it was a long and physically demanding event for a man whose frailty is now all too evident. emotional ands personal. and he referred to the controversies that have dogged his pontificate. he said the church had faced stormy weather. it had seemed at times that the lord was sleeping. was elected pope in eight years ago, he said, he surrendered his looked -- his right to a private life, and there could be no going back. i am not, he said, abandoning the cross. to prayt each of you for me and for the new pope. >> this is the last time the public will see this pope. very soon, for the sake of the credibility and authority of the next pope, benedicta will be hidden from the world for the rest of his life. there will

, arriving in his pope mobile. many young people. pope benedict xvi, the first pope they've known and the old who know how his story is. gathering to hear the last testament. and looking on the cardinal, one of these men could soon be pope, the first from pope benedict, a prayer. a final message to his follower followers. >> ask each of you to pray for me and for the new pope i impart my blessing. thank you. [ applause ] >> reporter: this frail man choosing a quieter life. so very different from his predecessor john paul who stayed until the very end. anthony from pennsylvania witnessed both pope's last sermons. >> they're courage in different ways. in opposite ways but the same degree of courage. >> reporter: the pope summoning the strength to say good-bye, giving up one of the most powerful roles on earth. meeting publicly with the faithful one last time. >> savannah as the pope got up to leave. there was a wave of emotion. people calling out to him, waving good-bye. many people held up banners saying thank you in return. pope benedict told the faithful i have never felt this way. >> th

revealed that pope benedict will retain his honorific title of his holiness nd be known as pope emeritus after he advocates. -- abdicates. when global events this really is, the resignation of a pope. it has not happened for 600 years. the whole place is swarming with foreign tv crews. theally, the audience of pope is a relatively low-key affair. but interest in attending wednesday's event was so great that they had to move it. there are thousands of shares already laid out. 35,000 people have already booked tickets to attend. and that number is expected to grow. intense interest not only around the world, but here in rome as well. because the pope is also the bishops in rome. i'm standing at the moment on the territory of the italian republic. this ground is italy. on the other side of this fence, it is the independent state of the vatican city. we are not allowed to take our cameras. you get a sense of the separations that are already under way. the following day will be his last day in office. he will have a private meeting with the cardinals that have already arrived in rome. later t

square in the vatican to witness pope benedict the sixteenth final general audience on thursday his resignation will take formal a fact the pope shockley international community with the announcement of his abdication on february eleventh becoming the first pope to voluntarily leave his post in six centuries the cardinals will elect his successor next month again live pictures here from st peter's square at the vatican where pope benedict the sixteenth is giving his final address. you know there's a car bomb has killed seven people in northern mali the attack in could doll was carried out by islamist militants the target is believed to have been a military checkpoint manned by a target group the group was originally allied with the islamists when they seize control of northern mali last year but later fell out with them before backing the french led offensive to drive them out. egypt has suspended all hot air balloon flights in the area near luxor where nineteen people died in a crash on tuesday tourists from britain france japan hungary and hong kong were among those killed a hot a

is responsible. >>> and pope benedict xvi makes his final appearance before stepping down. his message to his followers. it's all ahead on the ktvu channel 2 morning news. >>> good morning, everybody it's wednesday, february 27th i'm brian flores. >> good morning, i'm pam cook. thank you for waking up with us. let's check in with steve as promised. it seems to be getting warmer this week. >> very nice warm. >> yeah. big system in the great lakes. subtle changes today. really probably only those in weather might notice it. we will see a few high clouds come in here. it will still be mild to warm. here is sal. >>> good morning. right now traffic is moving along pretty well around the bay scene take a look at highway 24. it is looking pretty good adds you drive through. there are no major problems. as a matter of fact, the traffic continues to look good. also the southbound 101 as you drive past the ups building there is road work there. we'll keep an eye on it for you. let's go back to the desk. >>> sal, thank you. we begin with breaking news in san francisco. dozens of homes and

crowds are leaving st. support's square after the pope benedict completed the final public appearance, a live look at the seen and the crowd is still there, some 50,000 tickets were requested for his final class but it is estimated the crowd could be as large as 200,000 packing into streets and buildings. it was a triumphant farewell for the pope would made rounds through the square in the popemobile as the crowds cheered carrying banners thanking the propose. the appointment he has kept to teach the world about the catholic faith. he will step down tomorrow as the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years. stay with abc7 and abc news for continuing coverage of the farewell to pope benedict coming up at 5:00 a.m. we will take you live to rome and we will update you on any developments dug owe newscast and on twitter. >> it could be testy at the apple shareholders annual meeting this morning with share prices falling sharply from the more than 700 a fair it commanded last fall. will c.e.o. may have to address a legal battle for apple to distribute more of the $137 billion it